How much it costs to go to college is complicated. While a school might have a high cost of attendance, how much you actually pay could be low.
For a more accurate picture of how much college might cost you, look at your school’s average financial aid package. Or use a calculator for a personalized estimate.
College can cost anywhere from $18,000 to over $50,000 a year depending on where you go to school, if you’re an in-state or out-of-state resident and if you attend a public or private university. Aside from tuition and fees, your school’s cost of attendance usually also includes room and board, books, transportation and other personal expenses.
Here was the average cost of college for a full-time undergraduate student living on or near campus for the 2019–2020 academic year, according to a 2019 College Board study.
As these numbers show, tuition isn’t the only number you should look at. Room and board is also a significant part of the cost of attendance.
It was a quarter of the cost of attending a private school or a public school as an out-of-state student during the 2019–2020 academic year. And it was around 45% of the cost of public schools for in-state students and public two-year programs.
State school costs can vary dramatically, depending on where you attend and if you’re an in-state or out-of-state student. It can cost as little as $6,350 as an in-state student in Florida and as much as $41,640 as an out-of-state student in Vermont. Here’s how much it costs across different states.
This data was released in November 2019 and does not reflect refunds and reimbursements offered by some colleges due to COVID-19.
You could pay anywhere from $18,000 to nearly $50,000 per year to attend college — it all depends on your financial aid package. Sometimes schools with a higher cost of attendance (COA) have generous financial aid packages that lead to a lower net price — the amount you pay after you receive financial aid. It all depends on how large your school’s endowment is for offering scholarships and grants to incoming students.
Your school determines your financial aid package by looking at two main factors: Whether you’re considered a dependent or independent student and your family income.
Here’s how much the average student paid for the 2015–2016 academic year based on different income levels:
| Income level | Private four-year school | Public 4-year school | Public 2-year school |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent students | $27,500 | $19,260 | $13,780 |
| Dependent students: Less than $35,000 | $19,960 | $14,550 | $9,330 |
| Dependent students: $35,000 to $69,999 | $24,360 | $18,100 | $11,520 |
| Dependent students: $70,000 to $119,999 | $29,190 | $21,860 | $13,070 |
| Dependent students: $120,000 or higher | $39,040 | $25,800 | $13,740 |
| All students | $29,640 | $20,090 | $12,180 |
It’s difficult to predict how much you’ll pay for four years of college since it depends on your financial aid package and how much your school’s COA increases from year to year.
Here’s how much tuition increased over the past decade by school type:
Based on these percentage changes, you might expect to pay a net cost of $147,940.97 at a private four-year school and $41,898.01 at a public four-year institution in tuition and fees.
The increases over the decades doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll see those exact types of increases. Here’s how much college costs increased between the 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 academic years:
How much college is going to cost you really depends on your personal situation. But there are a couple of tools you can use to figure out how much you’ll have to pay:
You might want to use both to get a more accurate estimate. A school’s net price calculator might have a more accurate reading of institutional scholarships and grants you might qualify for. But the FAFSA4caster can give you a better idea of how much federal aid you might receive.
The cost of tuition will account for books, but it typically won’t factor in travel or lifestyle expenses. If you want to join a sorority or fraternity, study abroad or take part in extracurricular activities, you’ll need to have a budget that accounts for these extra expenses. To find out more about these costs — and the cost of other extracurricular activities — contact your school’s student resource center or financial aid office.
If you can get a job or a paid internship, you’ll offset some of your costs and improve your employment prospects after you graduate. Otherwise, you may want to factor these miscellaneous costs into how much you’ll need to borrow.
If you don’t qualify for enough federal and institutional aid to cover the cost, you might want to consider these options to help pick up the slack:
You might want to start your search for extra funds with your school’s financial aid office. They can likely tell you the scholarships and grants for which you might be a good candidate.
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How much you pay for school comes down to your financial aid package, which depends on factors like your school’s COA, endowment and your family income. Using tools like a net price calculator and the FAFSA4caster can give you a more accurate estimate of how much you might pay before you apply.
You can learn more about how paying for school works by checking out our guide to student loans.
How much does it cost to attend school as an international student?
It depends on your school — though it’ll likely be more than the numbers quoted in this article. That’s because international students aren’t eligible for federal student aid and many scholarships and grants that schools offer. You might want to check out our guide to financial aid for international students to learn more about your options.
When calculating the cost of college, what costs should I include?
If you’re going to calculate the cost of attendance yourself, you might want to include the following expenses:
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